Time for UEFA to consider changing this system

After the draw for the group stages of the Champions League was made, one thing became abundantly clear. As with a great deal of Uefa related things, the draw and more specifically the seeding is an utter joke. In any competition there is expected to be a group of death, but to have a group containing the champions of England, Spain, Holland and Germany is nothing short of ludicrous. Add to this certain sides who seem to find themselves in shall we say easier groups season after season, and fans begin to wonder exactly what is going on.

Whilst I am in no way insinuating that United and Uefalona – sorry Barcelona- have some kind of sweet deal with Uefa, it does seem strange that yet again both are in a group that will provide little trouble for them – then again last season United were knocked out by a culinary herb, so there is hope yet.

The real trouble is how the seeding is worked out – Chelsea have found themselves falling foul of this in the not too recent past, having been in groups with teams such as Barcelona in the past, and City now have this all to look forward to for the next couple of years at least. Even a giant like Real Madrid is not safe from the madness of Uefa seedings, with reinstatement to the top pot of seeds only recently being gained.

Seeding is based on a point system, with previous performances in domestic leagues, not to mention the completion itself being taken into account, meaning a team like City or Dortmund who are technically champions of their country will always suffer due to not having a pedigree in the competition – making it a double edged sword with it being harder to establish a pedigree because of the lack of one. Crazy – yes, but entirely necessary according to Uefa.

Chelsea – the defending champions did not even technically qualify in the top four of the Premier League yet due to being victors last time out found themselves as top seeds. Dortmund found themselves in the fourth and final pot of seeds – having won their league and previously lifted the Champions League once before. Porto were in the top pot due to lifting the trophy twice and being Portuguese champions, and bizarrely Arsenal who have not won a trophy in 7 years have found themselves in the top pot yet again – no wonder it takes so long for Uefa to explain how the draw is worked out!

Country protection also proves an issue, although is a slightly more understandable one at least in the initial stages of the competition, yet clearly favours the so called bigger sides and helps them to avoid each other. This is justified by saying that it will make the contest better later down the line, if Real Madrid avoiding Barcelona or United avoiding Chelsea only makes for a stronger latter stage of the competition – how fair this is remains to be seen but then again with Uefa fairness doesn’t really come into it.

In reality the only thing that suffers from such seeding is the competition as a whole, with teams who are not totally up to scratch having a chance of getting through the group stages, and at least a couple of sides who would walk any other group and who deserve to go through losing out.

This of course should not come as a surprise been as though Uefa have resisted goal line technology for countless seasons, failed to make proper provisions for teams who win the competition but do not qualify in the top spots for their country and have a man the helm who would happily take a place from the Premier League or La Liga and give it to the first Eastern European country that showed interest in it.

City can at least take comfort in the fact they have graduated to the second pot of seeds – but the way the draw worked for them, they may as well be in the 4th pot for all the good it has done them – at least the players and fans are used to doing it the hard way.

Nothing more than we expected at City. We have the players to get us through to the next stage and Real Madrid havnt started the season too well anyway.

GoonerDave
2 years ago

Just because City bought their way to the title you feel they should be seeded? Based on what? They have no history in the CL, City must make their mark before they can be considered top seed material.
A terribly arrogant article.
City doing it the hard way? Not any more! You cannot play that card anymore and expect to be taken seriously.
I have no gripe with City, they had a tough past, and I wish them luck in the CL competition.
But this article is awful.

cotty
2 years ago

but how do you history if your at a disadvantage all the time , utd’s 3rd and 4th pot opponents are pub teams and city’s are champions of some of the best leagues in europe

mgreenz
2 years ago

So why do Arsenal continue to occupy a place in the 1st pot, when they haven’t won a trophy in 7 years?
And it’s about to go 8.

Katung
2 years ago

Their performance in the Champions League.

Archimedes
2 years ago

The process is transparent and is based on the past FIVE years, please do your homework. City and Dortmund are still low based on that, besides City (and Dortmund) crashed out in the group stage last season so a few domestic honors not enough and rightly so.

Wilma
2 years ago

Boo Hoo poor City always comlpaining
not enough players,(oops how about the 30 odd out on loan, and then there is this group is to hard. Well that`s life for you, just get on with it.

jet
2 years ago

what do u know about champions league? Has u r team man shitty… been to champions league final. Dont talk about teams in pot1 as they great history. U moron.

tony
2 years ago

A bigger gripe for me is the when Dortmund were drawn they couldn’t go into Uniteds group because? because of the TV scheduling. So the got Club Cluj instead. No worries, they knocked out Basle who put United out at the group stage last season.

Deaks
2 years ago

Man City “are used to doing it the hard way”

OMG if this was posted on a different date I would be certain this was an April fool’s prank

Maybe the author of this article is unhappy as the seeding was the only thing Man City couldnt buy

Dahehe
2 years ago

+1

Ayobami
2 years ago

To be honest how can champions from three diffrent leagues be in the same group, Real Madrid champion of Spain, Dortmund German champion, ManCity English Champion, the seeding is truely weird.

Kieren
2 years ago

Typical man city fan well if it wasn’t for the money they have they wouldn’t even be in the champions league

Stephen
2 years ago

Hooo wooo hold your horses mate what team you are talking about who who city you wont them to be seeded for what what did they win only 1FA and 1championship are bloody series please take this article off cos its redicles .go do some research about seeding manchester city 1st they have no history in CL 2nd please please do not compare your team to the only invincibles in the premier league history ok please and by the good lick hahahaha lol

The Myth Behind The Legend
2 years ago

Wow, talking about the pot calling the kettle black. Sir, if English is your first language, you should be ashamed. If it isn’t, you should still be ashamed.